I'm very much hoping for Helsinki, I'd probably be able to go to that one, I don't see much chance of making a US con anytime in the next few years (although I'll make an extra special effort if NO win 2018)

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I'm an open advocate of DC already a supporting member. We have a number of BWB on the committee organizing DC 17 (Arlington Bill and. Makhtobanabi to name two) They have a great committee with lots of experience (they do Capclave yearly). It's fairly easy for everyone to travel to DC as it has a major airport there.

I'm backing DC.

Who do you advocate and why.

Three major airports, each at most 30 minutes or so from DC by rail: Reagan National, Dulles International and BWI International. BWI fares are often a lot lower. Plus the national passenger rail system, Amtrak, has direct rail service to DC from most of the east coast, New Orleans, and the western US via connection at Chicago as well as the cities and towns along the way.

I am thinking I can make it to a WorldCon every three years or so. So 2017 - Helsinki, and then "New Zealand" - 2020 [NZ was not working with a specific venue in promotions at Loncon 3].

After Spokane and Kansas City I would also like to see the WorldCon outside the North American continent.

As an aside, I was asking someone in the KC tent what the voting was like when they won 2016, and it was something like 650 to 70, KC over Beijing. Hats off to Beijing though, this was their first attempt to get a WorldCon, and they were doing it without any support/assistance from people with previous experience. I would thoroughly support a Shanghai bid for a future WorldCon.

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I had no idea this was a possibility, cool! Still, 2019 is too far away, I'd like to see some of you again and meet the rest for the first time sooner, if possible. So, Helsinki first, Dublin later. :)

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I like that I can take public transportation to the hotel, where I will be staying.

The DC bid came together after Lonestarcon, where the main corporate group hosted a floating an idea party DC was well received. At the Business meeting we indicated that we were exploring options for three years, 2017, 2018, and 2019. Whenever we got the best deal was what we would bid. The east coast group Sprawl was also looking to bid an East coast city. The two groups started talking and agreed to work together if DC or Baltimore had the best offer. Several cities and years were explored, the bid location in DC was so much better than the others, that it wasn't even a competition. The deal was for only 2017. We made the decision at Capclave last year and informed Montreal and the Japanese bid of our intentions. We informed the Finns as well since we'd heard they were considering 2017. We held off our Announcement until SMOFcon in December as we had stated we would do.

So now, on to the good stuff...

The committee is made up of both newer con runners and experienced runners. There are a few past Worldcon chairs on the committee to advise the group. There will be new things tried to improve the whole experience. We have support from a few other regional conventions who will help provide additional local support during move in and move out.

As I know that the BWB has often roomed together, note that the Hotel rate is single through quad with no up charge and the hotel said they wouldn't look to hard if there were more than 4, if it wasn't too flaunted. We got a good rate on the suites as well for parties.

As for city, having a huge number of FREE world class museums is a big tourist plus. The national zoo is a short walk from the hotel. By 2017 the Museum of Science Fiction should have a test facility in place.

DC is probably one of the most diverse cities in the World. There is good food from just about everywhere in the World. The hotel has indicated that they will allow food trucks to park on their driveway to increase lunchtime food options.

The logistics of bringing in good booze wasn't in the plans for Loncon, our focus has been desserts.

I know that temperature is a big concern. The weather this year was amazing, sadly we couldn't bank it. But we get to offset this by having facilities where you never have to leave the building if you don't want.